deliberately get pregnant, Paxton,” she said with more resignation than conviction. “That’s gonna be a problem, isn’t it?”
“Probably.”
* * *
She doesn’t look so fierce in her sleep.
Paxton stared down at Ivy as she rested on the sofa in the Hardens’ front parlor. Her tousled hair looked the same as it had on the morning that he’d left her in his bed, but her face was thinner now. A slight frown rested between her brows, as if she couldn’t get comfortable, even in her sleep.
Uneasy with the softening of his emotional defenses, Paxton forced his gaze away from her to the surrounding room. He took in the antique furniture mixed with a few well-worn pieces and lots of soft feminine touches. The living space seemed well used and designed for comfort, while respecting the past.
“She’s plumb tuckered out all the time,” the older woman the sisters called Auntie said as she came up beside him.
Paxton glanced over at her, unease filtering through him. “Is this level of sickness dangerous? I don’t remember either of my sisters having this problem.”
Sierra rarely got sick at all. Janine had spent the first three months throwing up every morning, then she was fine the rest of the day. But they were both very emotional—conversations could turn into minefields without warning.
“Oh, it isn’t dangerous,” Auntie said with a wave of her hand. “As long as we keep enough food in her, she and the baby will be fine. Not comfortable, by any stretch of the imagination. But safe.”
Paxton suppressed a smile. “Good to know.”
“It’s all been rough on her—” Auntie went on, shifting slightly “—between the sickness, how this all came about and getting used to the idea of bringing a new life into the world. That’s a lot for a girl to take in.”
Paxton was well aware. “I bet.”
“She’ll be a good mama, though. You’ll see.”
Finally Paxton let his gaze return to the sleeping beauty. He knew Ivy to be capable, efficient, eternally prepared for any number of clients’ demands. The night of the masquerade, he’d discovered just how passionate she could be. The last thing he’d wondered about her was what kind of mother she’d be.
Guess he better start considering the possibilities.
That’s not why I’m here. Paxton shook his head slightly. He’d spent the night vacillating between sheer panic and endless questions. Not the joy that he’d felt each time his sisters had announced their pregnancies.
He’d realized immediately after leaving yesterday that he’d taken the wrong tack. Letting their emotions take control wouldn’t get them anywhere. Especially not him. It was the first time he could remember his emotions overtaking his logic so completely. A scary place for him to be.
So he’d returned this afternoon for a bit of reconnaissance. His best option for moving forward and answering his own questions about this whole situation was information.
Information about Ivy outside of their professional exposure to each other. Information about her family and the environment the child would be born into. That way he could make decisions and plans based on what he thought was best.
This situation wasn’t ideal. It was what it was. He just needed a plan of action.
He forced his gaze away. Focus on the plan. Not on the woman.
“Thank you for having me,” he said, turning up the wattage on his smile as he glanced back at Auntie. Just as he had yesterday, he’d noticed her limp as she’d led him from the front door, into the parlor. She had the pinkish complexion of health, but also the slight droop of exhaustion in her expression. Even this early in the evening.
“Oh, these girls keep me busy,” she said, “but it makes life happy, you know?”
“I do, indeed. My family is a big part of my life also.”
And he was not looking forward to hearing their thoughts when they found out he’d gotten his assistant pregnant. Definitely not what they’d had in mind when they urged him to start a family. Of course, it wasn’t what he’d had in mind, either. Family had been the last thing he’d been thinking about when he’d taken Ivy to bed that night.
“I love having a big family,” Auntie was saying, “Even though they came to me later in life. Do you have a big family?”
Paxton smiled and chatted about his two sisters and all his nieces. He truly loved his family, even when they were driving him crazy. He’d always been close with his siblings and his parents and grandmother. As the only grandson, they had high expectations for him and his future family. Almost as high as he had for himself.
Having a baby with Ivy didn’t fit into the plan. His stomach twisted as he imagined their disappointment. But regardless of whether this baby fit his stringent requirements for having children, the baby existed. Paxton was not the kind of man who could simply walk away.
It wasn’t just about responsibilities, either. He’d spent a lot of time with his sisters and nieces. He didn’t know where this was going, but those joyful thoughts of welcoming a child into the world and watching it grow were already taking hold.
Only a day, and he’d already been sucked in.
“Thank you for taking care of her,” he said, in a sincere effort to show his appreciation, despite what Ivy would have thought if she’d heard it.
The older woman’s smile was kind. “Ivy insists she’s handling it, but it is wearing her down, I believe. She doesn’t want anyone else to feel responsible, but that’s what family does.”
She leaned a little closer and lowered her voice. “I even postponed a trip with her sister Jasmine because I just don’t want her alone. And she needs her own bed right now, her own space. Not to be out at Willow’s place, away from her comfort zone.”
Paxton stared for just a moment, his brain kicking into overtime. Something started to take shape, but before he could analyze it, a soft voice drifted across the room.
“Somehow I knew you’d be back.”
Paxton was unsettled by Ivy’s resigned tone. Without thought, his chin went up and he said, “You shouldn’t doubt it. We’ll be a major part of each other’s lives from here on out.”
Inwardly he winced. Probably not the right approach at the moment. Unlike Ivy, Paxton knew he needed to keep his emotions out of this situation. He wasn’t sure how he felt about Ivy. About her being the mother of his child. He’d attempted to put every spine-tingling moment of their night together out of his mind...and had succeeded until the moment he’d returned home. But he didn’t want to think about it. Right now, he needed to focus on the child.
The one thing he refused to walk away from.
Not wanting to hover over her, Paxton crossed to the sofa, where she lay, and eased himself into the far corner. Ivy’s eyes widened before she pushed herself into a more upright position and pulled her feet closer to her. But not before he caught sight of her delicate feet with their bright pink toenails.
Once more he struggled to push back the memories.
“I’ll leave you youngins alone for a bit,” Auntie finally said, winking at Paxton. “I’m sure you have a lot to discuss.”
Indeed they did.
Paxton turned back to Ivy, then winced at her cynical expression.
“Any particular reason you’re trying to charm my aunt?”
Busted. “What are you talking about?”
“I’ve been watching you in action for a year and a half now. I’ve seen that same smile a hundred times. What are you trying to prove?”
That